Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1887-03-03

In the center OF q busy commercial
quarter of Paris-in the Rue des Blancs
ManteauS-is large five-story build
ing. with its windows securely barred
and wired. rs il something precious
was contained within. with the ever
prominent words. Liberty. Equality,
Fraternity" carved on its walls. and
over the doorway of which. just under
the tri.color. may be read in large gold
lettering. Mont de Piete." Several
republican guards walk about the large
courts within. and there arc other signs
of oilicialism and that the building in
question is national property. 1t is.
indeed, the headquarters Of the nation
nj pawnshop, With US, when an un-
expected crisis in ones financial affairs
leads him temporarily TO get rid of
some Of his personal property. he
euphonistically tells his friends
that he has been TO his "un-
cle's.' A Frenchman in similar
straits visits his "aunt," whose real
name throughout France is the "Mont
de Pete" There are no odious associ-
ations about this National institution.
A Frenchman will not slink away
sneakingly to his 'aunt," but when
necessity requires il, will visit her fear
lessly and openly rs he would the Is
comte de Paris or the Credit Lyonnais.
The Mont de Piete is, indeed. bank.
without capital and without dividend.
From the budget Of the Paris institu-
tion for 1877, which the director, VI.
Edmond Duval. has just placed in the
hands of the Municipal Council, an idea
may be obtained of the amount of busi-
ness done at this bank Of piety. The
estimated income Is put at 9S,Sl9,62O
francs-about f3,732, 2,3Si-and rs the
accounts are supposed TO do little more
than balance. the expenditure Is placed
at several thousand pounds less. A de-
crease in the business done during
the year is attributed TO the
fact that many people OF all
professions have been compelled to
leave the city. owing to the depression
of trade. Connected with the principal
Mont dc Picte there are twenty auxiliary
bureaus throughout the town. and it is
perhaps about the only institution in
Paris which is open all the year round.
fetc days included. The director of the
concern is appointed by the Minister of
the Interior. and the administration of
the concern is under the Prefect of the
Seine. Eight per cent. is charged rs
interest on the articles pledged. This
charge is unquestionably high. but the
expenses il has to meet are considerable.
In irregular pawnshops the percentage
charged sometimes reaches 50l per
cent. The administration of the Mont
dc Piete contemplates reducing the rate.
The money thus acquired goes to pay
the expenses OF management At the
end of a year or fifteen months, If the
pledge does not respond to COM
muuication he receives from the Mont
and renew his pledge. or take
out his property, it is sold
Within the general administration of
the Mont de Piete there is an army of
officials called the commissaires
priseurs, who value the property
pledged. During last year there were
1858 sales of unclaimed property which
realized 2iS.9S7 francs. The commits
saires priseurs look after these sales,
and their charge is per cent. The
director complains that the charges OF
these commissaires are excessive. and
threatens reforms. Should the pr operty
sold bring more than IL was originally
valued at, the owner gets the differ
ence. but he does not lose through
depreciation ofvalue. Articles may be
renewed al infnitum. At the immense
storehouse in the Ruo des Blancs there
are articles that have been renewed for
over forty years. One antiquated
umbrella has been there since 1928,
during which time its value has been
paid four or FIVE times over in interest
As Different colored ticket Is given
each time pledge Is renewed, the um-
brella has long since exhausted all the
colors Of the rainbow, and on the last
occasion. when the ticket was presented
for renewal. the Monte dc Piete made
n present Of the venerable parapluie
TO the proprietor. After all the ex-
pcnses Of the Monte de Piete have been
met, the balance, II any. goes to the
public assistancc-the rclief q the poor.
There are betweea forty and fifty Monts